Should I leave my computer on all the time or turn it off?
My dad says leaving the computer on all night wastes electricity and wears it out. But my friend says turning it on and off all the time is what really wears out the components, and it's better to leave it on. Who's right? Does it matter for a home computer? What about just using standby or hibernate mode?
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4 Answers
I dealt with this same issue last year. The key thing is to make sure you're using the latest version of your software and check forums like Slashdot or Ars Technica for specific fixes. Technology changes so fast that advice from even 6 months ago can be outdated.
It depends a lot on your connection speed. If you're still on dial-up, some of this just isn't going to work well no matter what. Broadband makes a night-and-day difference. Is DSL or cable available in your area yet?
I learned the hard way to always back up before messing with this kind of thing. Burn a CD-R of anything important first. It takes 10 minutes and could save you from losing everything if something goes sideways.
Whatever you do, don't pay some 'computer guy' $80/hour to do this. It's a 20-minute job you can handle yourself. There are step-by-step guides all over the web with screenshots. Save your money for a faster modem or more RAM.
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